Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1887-03-19
HORSES IN JAPAN.
"A DESCRIPTION OF THE IMPERIAL
PASTURE OF SHIMOSA.

Ia DESCRIPTION OF THE IMPERIAL
PASTURE OF sHIMOSA.
Tho Largest Breeding Farm In tne
world-Ffve Hundred Miles of Outside
and $500 Miles Of Inside Embankment
Fence.
There are large breeding establishments
In many other parts Of the world, but 1t Is
doubtful if there is now, or ever was, a
breeding establishment in any other coun-
try tLet could equal the great horse pasture
of Shines, in japan. Nearly a thousand
years ago the main island Of the japanese
empire~was about equally divided between
the conquering race and the abor1g1nes.
The held the southern half and
the a~borisines the northern half. One OF
the reigning Tycoons determined upon the
conquest of the aborigines, and be sent a
large and well equipped army across the
Hakoni range into the aboriginal territory.
After a long war, in which there were
many bloody battles, the aboriglnes were
defeated and driven north. The territory
conquered comprises all the country around
Toxic, the capital, and several provinces
still north Of that, within the boundaries OF
this conquest, were what are low called
the s'plains of Shimosa." These plains
were found to be admirably adapted to
grazing. They are about forty miles east
of Toxic, between the head Of the bay Of
Yeddo and the ocean, and are 800 or 400
feet above the sea level. They are in fact
peninsula table lands. From these plains a
considerable number of small streams have
their sources. The larger part OF this SUI
face is covered with grasses, Indigenous to
that country. among which are several
kinds of ~clovers, bunch grasses and a fescue
grass. At intervals there are groves OF
pines, OAKS. beach and maple trees.
Az IMPERIAL scHEiE.
1t was determined to establish there a past
ure. where the best cavalry horses could be
bred and in such numbers that their whole
could be supplied with fresh mounts
at any time. Ordinary Enclosures. and even
fences, could have been built
with little labor and cost, but ordinary
fences would Hot nave met the requirements.
japanese population was then 800 or
400 miles south of that point. Two hundred
miles north were the defeated but still tn
conquered aborigines, ready to pounce down
upon their invaders whenever a favorable
presented. Under these crcun-
stances a fortified fence was demanded. To
thus inclose a peninsula fifty miles By
miles was a gigantic work, bit
when an absolute authority, with millions
of submissive people ready to obey that au-
determines to do a work the
amount of labor involved does not stand in
the way of its accomplishment. an i'm
perial decree was issued, ordering each feu-
dal prince in the empire to send a certain
Of laborers to build tie inclosure
and to make permanent settlements there.
the lands bordering the streams, sus-
of irrigation, were allotted to tie
for homes. From every province
laborers, with their families, poured in.
10 a short time $50 villages were built
the line OF the proposed inclosure.
Crops for the food Of these workers were
and the work on the fortified fences
with impressive ceremonies BETTING
he importance OF this project.
TIE OUTER I~ScLoSCEE.
Tie outer Enclosure was a solid earth en-
aankment sixteen feet high. 1t was built to
to tie borders of the table land,
on .he bay and ocean sides were very
These Irregularities increased
he length Of the e~nbauknenu, and. as the
and along the Streams allotted to the settlers
,ould not be included in the pasture. this |
,reat e~nbankment had to be run Up on
ne side OF the stream nearly 20 its sourc.
nd then back again dow the other side. |
IS there were many OF these streams the
mount Of embankInent was enormously in
reased. In a book published b. the govern
nent many years ago the length Of this
fortified fence or embankment is
tssed to be 500 miles. From two years
esidence IN this table land. riding every
ay through various portions Of this old
orse pasture, I believe this statement is
within the bounds OF truth. After this outer
was finished it was sown with
grass, called "Eea." which becomes more
rooted in the soil than any other
grass. In that case the roots ran
the whole Of the masses OF earth.
nd have thus held them together so firmly
nat the entertainments have not perceptibly
7ashed or weathered through all the cent
ries which have interviewed since their
obstruction. On the top of this enlbank-
tent a row Of trees was planted. This in
iosure formed a very strong defense. and
zen if en- enemy had sto-r:ed and taken il
would have been impossible to get the
orses out, except at tie gates. which were
i'll more strongly fortified, and a detach-
lent OF mounted troops was Stationed at
lch one. At convenient points cor-als
ere built, and these were made doubiy
They were built BY throwing u,
nbankments twenty-five and even thirty
ct high.
A NEEDLESS PROBATION.
In case the eborisiEes had succeeded in
.tting inside the outer embankrent. the
'Hes were to have been run into these I'M
enSe corrais and defended there. The
'origines never succeeded in getting into
e pasture. and if theC had tie cor-a!s
not have been needed. for in a few
these horses became SO wild that the
hole Sioux tribe Of Indians could not
We caught them. The work OF building !
e outer ~enbankment occupied many I
ars, and the construction OF the corrals
any more. Then all this great plain Or
bic and was subdivlded into slaaler pas
res containing from 400 to 1000 acres
CD. The subdivision enbankmerts were
ade twelve feet high, and the authority {
owe quoted places the total length OF Il
csc at $500 miles. This work was all Il
ne by manual Labor. the earth being dug +
b. naattocks, put il rope sacks and then
FRIED TO the enbankment CT the hacks OF
N. The b@t equine sock Of the empire
IS bought and brought to these pastures ,
n~bassadoTs were sent to Corea, E.anchu-
and China. and the tloodod stations
re bought for the Improvement of tie
tive blood. By the natural increase in a
or two there was an immense MIN
of horses in this imperial pasture. The Y
icial authority already quoted puts this
nber at more than 100. 0Q0. The laborers
d in the construction of the entertainments
tied permanently On the lands that were
,luded from the Enclosure. and the vii.
Is founded by them are still there. Bv :